Independent Filmmakers: Showcasing Work

February 24, 2012

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” ~ John Quincy Adams 

In today’s blog, we will be fulfilling a need for information for independent filmmakers about how to become visible on the filmmaking scene. 

Indie Filmmakers, have you written a screenplay and are looking for a venue to display your work? Big Vision Empty Wallet is a national place to pitch your work. The mission of this competition is to explore screenwriters and their work and discover the next great feature film. The grand prize of $100,000 will help the winner of the competition to complete their feature film. 

Although, this year’s finalists have already been chosen, you can vote for your favorite contestant’s trailer film on this site. http://bit.ly/w4PiHw. The final selection will be chosen on May 1, 2012 and will be based on the full screenplay which must be completed and submitted from March 1 to April 1, 2012. 

If you have a screenplay in progress, stash this information away and submit for next year’s competition. In the meantime, take time to visit the website Big Vision Empty Wallet to see if your vision could benefit and be improved from watching other filmmakers work. 

Think professionalism, marketability, quality, style and originality and all things fulfilling as you complete your project.  Essential to keys of life and successful business, too!

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The Art of Pleasing Palates

February 17, 2012

Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it.”
~
Thomas Jefferson

Did you ever want to take a sneak peak into what is inside the making of the dainty delicacies known as sushi?  Now you can. One of the top independent documentary films of the year is called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. 

This film is about an 85 year old culinary artist and the teaching of his craft to his son, whom he hopes will be the next tour de force within the world of sushi making. Can the son ever live up to the standards that are expected of him to take over the trade? After all, combining colors, textures and the right tastes to please high end palates is no easy task!

Sushi lovers, unite! This film is sure to be fulfilling for those who have always wanted to know more about the culture, schooling and economy that is behind making this food for very discriminating tastes. Over the past twenty years, sushi bars, a trendy alternative to traditional dining has appeared on the scene in urban centers, luxury-oriented centers and on commonplace streets and locales.

If you please, become familiar with sushi terminology before watching this film by going to this link http://www.sushiref.com/glossary/ . The Jiro Dreams of Sushi is said to be “mouthwatering” by Leslie Felperin of Variety and it is set to be released in theatres on March 9th.

Rather stay home and watch? You can place your order for the film through www.imdb.com. Don’t forget to pick up an order of your favorite sushi from your favorite sushi bar. Bring it home and enjoy this film while stuffing your mouth!


Adjusting for the Times

February 16, 2012

Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” ~ Anais Nin 

On Valentines Day, my “sweetie” and I took in the movie  “The Artist.” I flat out loved this cinema release.  It is the story of George Valentin and his fall as a silent movie star due to the introduction of “talkies” – movies with sound. His refusal to move with the times, and accept the fact that the movie industry was undergoing vast change led to his come-uppance with himself and the world in which he existed. 

If you go see this movie, be alert to the subtle imagery that was creatively incorporated in the production of the film. The successful use of small details in scenes artfully told the story without the need for words in this silent, black and white film. Very masterfully done! 

Thinking back to the film, I could not refrain from comparing the overtones in this theme to the changes that have taken place in our economy and also, in the publishing industry over the past years. Those who have survived having had the “rug pulled out from underneath of them” are those who have adjusted their attitudes, and moved with the times. 

There was little that I did not like about this film. Although James Cromwell’s role in the overall storyline was significant, I would have liked to have seen him more in the film. For those of you who have seen James Cromwell as an actor in A Lonely Place for Dying, http://bit.ly/mAvP5d  a film that has had 45 award nominations and it has won 15 awards for best film, you know that James Cromwell is very capable of having more than a supporting role. 

I look forward to seeing the Academy Awards on February 26th. It will be interesting to see how the movie holds up against all the rest that are vying for top spots.

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Independent Documentary Film of Stellar Proportions

February 10, 2012

The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.”  ~Author Unknown 

Juan Mandelbaum of Le Monde, has called the independent documentary film Nostalgia for the Light  a “work of cosmic serenity, of luminous intelligence, with a sensitivity that could melt stone. At such a level, the film becomes more than a film. An insane accolade to mankind, a stellar song for the dead, a life lesson. Silence and respect.”  

Sounds serious, doesn’t it? 

The setting for this documentary film, directed by Patricio Guzman, is the Atacama Desert, the most arid place on earth. The stars in the skies from this place, 10,000 feet above sea level, are more clearly visible than from most locations on the earth. 

The intense desert sun has kept Pre-Columbian mummies  and corpses of other explorers who perished in the Atacama  intact for hundreds of years. Portrayed in this film are women who travel with astronomers on very personal missions of their own, looking for the remains of their relatives, political prisoners who were left there.

 The stunning landscape along with the exploration of horizons known and unknown in this independently produced documentary, by Icarus Films, has brought very fulfilling, favorable reviews. It has been an official selection and won awards at the most prestigious film festivals in the world. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/fSS6io

To order this film and to watch a trailer of this documentary, please visit IMDB http://imdb.to/ciOxVq.

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A Soulful Rise of A City

February 9, 2012

Today, I received by mail, my monthly issue of Kiwanis Magazine. The 97th Annual Kiwanis International Convention is being held in New Orleans this summer. The eclectic culture that permeates the city will provide a lively experience for Kiwanians coming together from all over the world. 

Hospitality and conventions are not new to this city. The spirit of the  “Crescent City” and its residents has always been joyfully shared with tourists through the city’s music, regional culinary delights and architecture. There are French, Cajun, Spanish, Creole, Carribean influences throughout the city and it’s people.

In 2005, deadly Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans. The images our country saw on television were beyond belief. At the time, our son was a junior at an outstanding high school with a state of the art film program. His school, Burr and Burton Academy www.burrburton.org sent him and another student, an outstanding writer, to Louisiana to produce a documentary film about the ravages of the storm on the city and its people. A contingent of other compassionate and giving students went along to do relief work – cleaning up and mucking out flooded houses. They did all they could, while they were there, to help families to rebuild their lives.

The film footage that our son returned with, after two trips to the scene, gave my husband and me an even deeper look at the devastation and the despair. Seven years ago, I thought “how in the world will they ever restore their properties and their spirits? There is so much to do.” 

The city of New Orleans has proven it has spirit and soul! The city has begun humming with activity again. Its people are fulfilling examples for others that we can rise above the worst of times with the right attitude.

 Welcome back, New Orleans! Welcome back. I am delighted that you will serve as host city to Kiwanis International this year.

For more information on Kiwanis International and the service club’s mission to improve the quality of life for children and families worldwide”, please visit www.kiwanis.org on-line.

There is also a new cellphone app for Kiwanis. Download it on your cell phone! I did.

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Shorts are in Fashion at the Luna Fest

February 3, 2012

Happy Film Friday! It has been a busy week for me, so today our blog will be brief. I am looking forward to a fun event tonight to culminate the week. 

The Lunafest at the Bud Werner Memorial Library http://www.steamboatlibrary.org/  in Steamboat Springs,Colorado is on the calendar for tonight. It kicks off at 7 pm. The Lunafest is a film festival of “shorts” by and for women. If  this year’s Luna Fest is anything like last year, I am in for a fulfilling night of independent film entertainment. 

The Luna Fest is paired with Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project and the Bust of Steamboat.  Between 5pm –7pm, an exhibition of inspired art will be displayed and auctioned off to raise awareness and funds for treating women with breast cancer. An award will be given for the Bust of Steamboat. http://thebustofsteamboat.org/

The Yampa Valley Breast Cancer Awareness Project is just one of many, many non-profits in this county with valuable missions. The volunteer efforts in this town is beyond anything I have ever experienced before. It is impressive, to say the least. 

I will return on Monday with more independent thoughts, words and views brought to you on the company blogsite of www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com

Have a good weekend, everyone! I will let you know next Film Friday, which Luna Fest “short” film ranked the highest on my list.


Thumbs Up to an e-Book Author

January 27, 2012

“We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow.”  – B.J. Palmer 

Today, we are featuring first time author Darcie Chan. She will be the first of many to come authors who have found success as an independent publisher of an electronic book. Darcie Chan is an environmental lawyer who has entered into the contemporary publishing market with her novel The Mill River Recluse. 

 The story, set in Vermont, is about a wealthy occupant in mysterious marble house. The main character suffers from a social disorder, limiting her to communicate through her bedroom window with a few key characters in her town. Chan weaves a story of love and friendship that has landed this fictitious novel on the New York Times best seller e-book list.  Indie Reader touts the book  “as real page turner.” Excellent reviews have come from Kirkus and it also holds a place on the USA Today’s list of best selling books, too. 

More of 430,000 copies of Darcie Chan’s novel have been sold. It is downloadable from the leading on-line booksellers at a very affordable price of 99 cents. She has already made more than she in all likelihood would have been paid as an advance from a traditional publisher. 

Darcie Chan is just one example of an author who has decided to go the digital publishing route, and has found success as an unknown writer. She has been approached by film studios who want to produce an book to film adaptation of her story, too.  For more information on The Mill River Recluse, please visit www.darciechan.com

We will continue to feature other inspiring stories about e-book authors on All Things Fulfilling. Check back with this blog site.

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Featuring Black and White Films

January 20, 2012

“Life is like a good black and white photograph, there’s black, there’s white, and lots of shades in between.” ~ Karl Heiner 

In an age when computer manipulated images, digitally arranged music, complex and astonishing visual effects in movies reign, how fulfilling could a black and white silent film be for an audience in today’s world of cinema? Evidently, if well crafted – very fulfilling! 

The Artist” a black and white silent film, produced in France, selected by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,  has won major awards at the Golden Globes. This film, revisits an era in Hollywood (1927) when talking pictures are about to replace silent film. 

Silent movie star George Valentin ponders how to spark his career so it will not end when films with dialogue become the talk of the town. For more information on the film “The Artist” and to view a trailer, please visit this website http://imdb.to/aYpNw3

Director and Writer Michel Hazanavicius should be commended for bringing success to a silent black and white during this digital age. Actors Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo and John Goodman are stars, in their own right, for pulling it off. They have all brought accolades from some of the most difficult critics there are to please. 

I look forward to seeing this film. The question in my mind is “Will this silent film be fulfilling enough to win an Oscar in February?” We will just have to wait and see. 

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Hope and Empowerment through Art

January 10, 2012

If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” ~ Rachel Carson 

If you checked in on All Things Fulfilling yesterday, the theme of the blog was about master painters who so generously share their art, to educate others, through independently published books and films. 

The other evening I watched a documentary film that addressed, in a rather eye-opening way, the issue of sharing a passion for Art with others. The film was about a group of children in Calcutta, India who discovered new possibilities for their futures. Through the introduction to a medium of art, the students became inspired to rebuild their lives and empowered to study hard because someone believed in their talent and creativity.  New York photographer, Zana Birski mentored children who had very little hope in their lives and had been shunned, by most, because they were the offspring of mothers who worked in the Red Light district of Calcutta. 

The message of this documentary film produced by THINKfilm Company is timeless. “Born into Brothels” won more than 30 major awards, including an Academy Award, when it was released back in 2004. 

The film is a testimony to the resilience of children, and the wild curiosity children have when presented with new life experiences and when they find a mentor who can help them develop their own artistic passions. Caution: Although it is admirable to cultivate this message through fulfilling interactions by mentoring kids, the film itself is not for children. It does have strong language and it is an R rated film

To watch this uplifting film for adults, please visit the Independent Movie Database http://imdb.to/2yvGeU.

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Painterly Publishers

January 9, 2012

“The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another’s….. are to me continual spiritual exercises.”   ~ Leo F. Buscaglia

I have much respect for painters who independently publish their work in books or catalogs. It allows those who do not have the means to acquire collections of fine art another way to enjoy the paintings that hang in galleries and on museum walls. 

Books and DVDs provide fulfilling hours of pleasure and inspiration for anyone. Art students working toward becoming accomplished at their craft can learn things such as composition, color tones, values in light, texture, shapes and edges from images in art books or through educational art DVDs. 

A one time layout of cost, there is no limit as to how many times a student can return to the publications to study more. It is the advantage of purchasing art books or DVDs on how to paint. As you go along, you can stop, review, practice and begin again. 

If you are looking for art books, exhibition catalogs or painting DVDs from some of the finest painters of our time, here are just a few to consider: 

Start the New Year by getting a fresh perspective from a variety of master painters. Visit the link to The Artists Magazine. There is a demonstration featured each week. http://bit.ly/oY1sAi

There have been many self-taught artists throughout history. If paying tuition to enroll in an Art School full time is cost prohibitive, take advantage of live painting demonstrations and short workshops. Learn from publications produced by artists. It gives you independence to go at your own speed and you can begin your path toward becoming an artist at any time. 

Today I commend artists collectively, who are doing their pArt to educate the next generation of artistically talented through independently published books and DVDs. Are you a master artist who has knowledge of value to share?

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